7 reasons why you should not be using men’s skincare

Just the other day, I came across an article about men who look like women. I didn’t have time to read but I’m guessing the discussion was about their features and hairstyle and nothing skin deep. I mean even if a man were to look like a woman, there are differences between his skin and hers. In fact, I remember writing briefly about this quite some time back. At that time, I’d discussed why it may not be suitable for us to use men’s skincare products. So today, I’ll elaborate a little more and share 7 reasons why we should just keep to using skincare products that are formulated for women.

1. Men have thicker skin
One of the key differences is that men have thicker skin than women. So maybe that explains why some of them are so *ahem* insensitive? A man’s skin is actually about 25% thicker than a woman’s because androgen (testosterone) stimulation causes an increase in skin thickness for them. This means that men’s products can never be effective in helping women’s anti-aging needs.

2. Men have more collagen
According to Dr. Michael Tick, a biochemist and laboratory director for The Institute for Skin Sciences and founder of organic skincare label Edimi, men have a higher collagen density than women. Because collagen content is directly related to the signs of skin aging, it has been said a woman’s skin is about 15 years older than a man’s of the same age. So quite simply, this means that using a man’s product is not gonna give you much of a collagen boost.

3. Men’s skin is rougher and hairier
However, despite having thicker skin with more collagen content, a man’s skin texture is tougher. And don’t forget men have thicker and rougher facial hair. Hence, it’s very unlikely that men’s skincare products are ever formulated to refine their skin’s texture.

4. Men secrete more sebum
Sebum (oil) and its production also differ. After puberty, sebum production is greater in males than females, which is attributed to androgen secretions and accounts for why men have longer lasting acne. Men secrete more sebum (oil) and they secrete it throughout life. Women stop secreting sebum after menopause, therefore the skin looks coarser and drier as the woman ages. If you’re a young girl with oily skin and acne problem, using a man’s products may help somewhat but this is only a short-term solution. You’re still better off using products developed for girls.

5. Men produce more sweat
Men sweat more than women and the sweat stays on the body longer. Men also have more body hair and therefore more surface area for bacteria to develop. So odor control is more difficult in males than in females because of the presence of body hair and the increased production of sweat and of sebum. I’ll say choosing men’s odor control products may work for some women with extreme odor condition. Otherwise, you may end up smelling too “manly”. Haha.

6. Men’s skin are less sensitive
The female skin is also more functionally responsive than the skin of men. Therefore female skin has a greater tendency to redness and to irritation to skin care products and so women are said to have tender skin. Facial stinging is therefore more prevalent in women. Going by this, using men’s skincare products might trigger sensitivity for some women.

7. Men have less cellulite issues
Women have more subcutaneous fat – fat below the skin – than men. Therefore women suffer from cellulite. This is why the development of cellulite treatment is almost completely confined to women.

I know some of you mentioned to me that you’re happy to use some skincare products for men. Well, I suppose there is no harm doing so in the short run or when you’re young. However, as you age, I’ll recommend you to stick to products developed for your own gender.

And for those of you who are wondering if you should marry someone 15 years older than you are because of what’s mentioned in point #2, you might be comforted knowing that men are less sun savvy than women, meaning they don’t use sunscreens. So this could contribute to why the “15 year” skin age difference is not readily noticed as UV damage from the sun can add years to a man’s skin. So now you know what’s the real reason you need to wear sunscreen? LOL.